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Tales of Suspense #81: Review

Sep 1966
Stan Lee, Gene Colan

Story Name:

The Return of the Titanium Man!

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Tales of Suspense #81 Review by (February 15, 2010)
Conclusion of a two-part story.


Tales of Suspense #81 Review by (June 18, 2012)
Review (Iron Man): More epic scenes of a brooding Tony, his briefcase, and an effective sequence of T-Man withstanding a missile blast. There's more to come, right?

Comments (Iron Man): First appearance of the rubberized helmet that slides on and off like a cloth mask. Inker Jack Abel is credited as Gary Michaels. Not the sharpest genius: Tony Stark goes to the airport to change into Iron Man—while pondering how to keep his identity secret. That won’t do it. Why not just fly to Washington straight from the factory?




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Tales of Suspense #81 Synopsis by T Vernon

Having made up his mind to testify before Senator Byrd’s committee, Tony Stark packs his Iron Man armor into his briefcase and hopes he can divulge the secrets of the armor without revealing his dual identity. Tony exits the plant, startling the police who were unaware he was in the building during Iron Man’s battle with the Sub-Mariner (last issue and TALES TO ASTONISH #82). He accepts a ride to the airport and there changes into his armor and takes off for Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile behind the Iron Curtain, a new upgraded Titanium Man is being readied for a return bout with Iron Man. After the Soviet supervillain successfully withstands a missile blast to the chest, he is packed in a rocket and shot towards the United States. Iron Man, monitoring security transmissions in his helmet, heads over to intercept the rocket and just as he approaches, Titanium Man bursts free and crashes into his American enemy….



Story #2

The Red Skull Supreme!

Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Frank Giacoia. Colorist: ?.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

As the Red Skull exults in the limitless power of the Cosmic Cube, Captain America seizes the opportunity to attack his enemy. At the speed of thought, the Nazi villain responds with extreme heat, shock waves, and explosions to hold his foe at bay. The Red Skull explains his plans to Cap: he will use the Cube to make himself ruler of Earth, build the greatest army the world has ever known and embark on the conquest of space to create an intergalactic empire! To deal with Captain America, the Red Skull raises up an artificial being from the ground, with strength and agility to beat even Cap. Cap’s greater knowledge of the martial arts allows him to gain the upper hand when suddenly the Skull causes the monster to vanish. The Skull then wills Cap into another dimension but Cap cries out, begging to be allowed to serve the Red Skull instead. Savoring the irony, the Skull dreams of Captain America as his own personal slave, heading up a team of Knights of the Round Table. The Skull wishes for himself an appropriate costume: a suit of kingly, golden armor. Cap bows before him…then leaps up and grabs his foe to prevent his fingers from closing around the Cosmic Cube. The Skull orders the island to break apart to separate them, and as it crumbles, Cap knocks the Cube from the Skull’s hand and it falls into the sea. The Red Skull leaps after it and his suit of golden armor drags him to the bottom. Climbing to safety on a rock, Cap prays that the Cosmic Cube remain lost forever.


Gene Colan
Jack Abel
?
Gene Colan (Cover Penciler)
Jack Abel (Cover Inker)
Stan Goldberg (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Red Skull
Red Skull

(Johann Shmidt)

Plus: Senator Byrd, Titanium Man.

> Tales of Suspense: Book info and issue index

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